Question

Place the following calculations in the correct order to determine the formula weight of H₂SO₄. Start with the first step at the top of the list.

a) Calculate the molar mass of each element.
b) Determine the number of atoms for each element in the compound.
c) Add the products obtained in step b.
d) Multiply the molar mass of each element by the number of atoms.

Answer 1

To calculate the formula weight of H₂SO₄, the correct order of steps is: determine the number of atoms for each element in the compound, calculate the molar mass of each element, multiply the molar mass by the number of atoms, and finally, add the products to get the total formula weight, which is 98.12 g/mol for H₂SO₄.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the formula weight of H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid), we must follow a sequence of steps starting with accurate molar masses of its constituent elements. Here is the correct order:

1. Determine the number of atoms for each element in the compound.
2. Calculate the molar mass of each element.
3. Multiply the molar mass of each element by the number of atoms.
4. Add the products obtained in step 3 to determine the compound's formula weight.

For H₂SO₄, we have:

• 2 hydrogen atoms = 2 x 1.01 g/mol = 2.02 g/mol
• 1 sulfur atom = 1 x 32.1 g/mol = 32.1 g/mol
• 4 oxygen atoms = 4 x 16.0 g/mol = 64.0 g/mol

Adding these together gives us the formula weight of H₂SO₄:

2.02 g/mol (from hydrogen) + 32.1 g/mol (from sulfur) + 64.0 g/mol (from oxygen) = 98.12 g/mol